Rail-crossing.



E. n. SMITH.

RAIL CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY |917.

1,251,123. u i Patented Dc. 25,1917.

UNITED strains PATENT @WCE EDWIN D. sivrI'rH, or sr. LoUIs, MISSOURI.

Y RAIL-CROSSING.

To all whom z' may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingy at the city of St. Louis andState of Missouri, have invented a new and ruseful Rail-Crossing,

of which the following is a specification. .Thisinvention relates to rail crossings. .The object of the invention is to provide an improved Vrail crossing in which the flanged rails of the track are equipped with attached continuousk risers for supporting the flanges of the car wheels passing over the crossing in such position that'the treads of the vwheels are continuously 'supported between, gage lines substantially out of contact with Athe upper surfaces of the rails, while the langesof the wheels extend a suilicient distance below the upper surfaces of the rails to prevent derailinent of the car. Another object of the invention is to "provide `an improved rail crossingadapted especially for use by streetl railway vlines and' comprising intersecting railseach including a tread or body portion-and a flange extending obliquely inwardly-and upwardly and forming a groove for the, iianges ofthe wheels; in, combination with risers attached tothe iianges withinv the grooves ofv the rails respectively and each composed preferably of a manganese steel plate, said plates continuously filling'y the grooves in the rails between gage lines and arranged to serve as treads'for. the flanges of the wheels to keep the treads `of the wheels substantially out of contact with the uppersurfaces of the rails. Themanganese steel plates are preferably formed with longitudinal grooves in their inner surfaces'and attached to the flanges of the rails by binding elements outside yof the wheel flange contact so that appropriate resiliencyv is obtained. y 'V ith the foregoing and other objects in view,`I. have produced a preferred embodi# ment'` of the invention and have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings in which- A Figure l is a plan view ofa crossing constructed in accordancefwith my invention. Fig. 2 is a. sectional view on the line 2-2 ofFigl. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the crossing rails viewed approximately from the line 3+3 of Fig. 1. Y' f.

Figs. 4, 5-and 6' are'sectional views taken on tlie'lines 4-l, 5-5 and 6-6 respectively QfFigl.l Y

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 25, 1917, Appiieation flied May 7, 1917. serial No. 166,815. i i i Fig. 7 is a1 perspective view of one ofthe riser Vplates detached from the rails. In theenibodiinent in which I have illu-s` trated niy present invention each rail'com' prises a tread or body portion l and a liange 2 curving obliquely upwardly and inwardly from the lower portion of theltop and forni-V ing therewith a groove orchannel in .which the flanges of the car wheels operate. the intersection of the rails experiencephas demonstrated the desirability of .supporting l the treads of the wheels substantially out of contact with vthe tops or treads ofthe rails in order to prevent deterioration and provide;smo-otherfcrossing..

ln order to effectthis desirable result-, 1 have devised riserspreferably in the forinof Inanganese'steel plates adapted to be at-.

tached to the flanges of therails within the grooves to receivel the flanges-of tliewheels and supportthe wheels substantially outof Contact with-thetops ofthe rails, while at the same time-permitting the lianges of the wheels to operate a suflicient vdistance 'below the tops of the rails vto prevent derailment of the cars passing the crossing- These plates are preferably in separate sections capable of independent attachment tothe railsand the end sections thereof are designatedbyr 3 which are tapering or inclined as .clearly illustrated in Fig..2 so .that the flangesof the car wheels will mount and pass from the risers without perceptible jolt o r jar. .The intermediate portionsv of the 4risers are inthe form of separate plates 4, the upper Vsurfaces of which servevr as treads for the flangesof Each of the riser plates 3 and l includes a part shaped'to conform to the groove in which'it is placed, and also includes a part 6 extending obliquely-upwardly Y and in, wardly to match the upper surface vof-tlie fiange 2 of the rail uponwliich it is placed.

The parts 6 are formed with longitudinal grooves or channels 7, in their under sides-so that .when the risers are placed in :longitudil nal series Vupon the rails thereis-a longitudinal groove orl channel between therisers and of the rails and through the parts G ofthe risers and also passing through the grooves 7. In this w ay 'the several plates areindependently detachable so that when any one of them becomes defective or damaged from` any cause it may be removed, andreplaced by vanother without interfering with any other part vof the crossing.V This isa mate-v rial advantage over a construction in which the risers areintegrally unitedv withV specially madev crossing rails, since by my constructionain enabledto usevat thecrossrails composingithe remaining`l portions of thetrack.

f The'provis-ionofthe grooves or channels Tenables the riser plates to be fitted readily in position without the necessity of machining the matching surfaces ofthe plates and. rails. Thev co-eflicient of expansion and contraction of the riser-plates, particularly if theyare constructed ofmanganesesteel asis preferred, is different from thatk of the usual steel-rails.V Because ofthis difference, itthe riserplates andvrails are in contact throughoutl their adjacenty surfaces, 'an undesired separation of the lside walls of the riser plates from the side walls of the grooves` in therailsin which they are seated williresult7 as an incident to the considerablevariations inv temperature which Voccur in mostA localities iii-which these crossings are used. Asa consequence ofthe formation of the: grooves orfcha-nnels? the rivets 8 are enabledto hold or bind the riser plateswith such stress that the i resiliency of theA plates is utilizedy to pressicthe side walls of said platesy closely against; the side walls' of the grooves in the rails in which the-,plates are secured at all times and under all clima-tic variations, thus avoiding the separation of the riser plates from therails which would otherwise occur.y

This invention` materially prolongs the life of builtup track crossingsand switches, and is also ofl material advantage to motors, trucks and cars because it subjects them to less shock in making the crossings. It is also of'advantage to the crossing and switch foundations, becauseitreduces the shock -in crossing and is easily repaired in case of excessive wear or damage to one or moreof the plates without the necessity? of cutting the' head vof the-rail or-flange, as in the case of-fcrossings in which therisers are formed integrally with the lrails. Y

It: will also be observed byfreference to the drawing'that two of they crossii'igrails are,` continuous or through rails, and that onlyv Itwo of. the rails are joined Vat the i cross: ing In case o'f-'replacement of any-ofthe worn or damaged riser plates, it is'unneces saryto.talrethe crossing or switch out` of ingrailsof the same-construction as theV servicevror to remove the pavement of the street, as .thel repairs may conveniently be made without interrupting the traffic. lThe application of these renewable risers to built- Wupftraclr crossings and switches attain the fullloenefits and results derived fromsolid service. Y The applicationofthese-renewable riser plates in such cases maybe attainedby; grinding orgremoving the surplus unneces-fr saryy metal from; the worin crossings and switchesand applying the risen plates inthe place thereof without: removingthe crossings castings; or switches from theztrack.

There are ,numerous other Vadvantages-inv addition to those mentionedV whichwill' bereadilyapparent to'those practically famil-y iar with the=diliiculties-of propcri track construction for street; railway lines. In practiceA the` construction` illustrated andk des scribed has been found greatlyA superior: tothe usual structures which haveV been` .em-f ployedfrin 1 an effort to attain ythe samelresults and advantages.` v f f Iclaim: i LVA crossing,- compri-singsv intersecting grooved rails, .independently attachableiv and detachable. `riser'xplates'seated Withing the grooves ofthe respective' intersecting-rails, having. their upper vsurfaces inthe-same plane. continuously: betweenf Vthe gage llines and. Varranged tol` serveeasf treads. for? the flanges of the carwlieelsffpassing the .croe in gg' the end plates being; taperedl orin.Y clined to prevent shoclcfwhenlthe car wheels passthereon .and therefrom, andfelements binding saidg plates; in positiony outside of the line'sfof contact-of the wheelfianges; u 2. A rail crossing,l comprising intersect-- ing grooved rails7 manganese steel riser plates fittedfwithin-the groovesv of the rails continuously between the gage linesandhaw ing their upper surfaces in the same-.boris zontalplane below the uppersurfacesofrthe rails and arrange-dito lserve asftreads for; the

the flanges of said rails and havingj grooves f in their under sides, and having theirnpper surfaces below the upper surfaces .of the rails and arranged to serve as treads for the anges of the Wheels passing the crossing, and detachable elements binding said plates in position outside of the lines of contact of the wheel fianges.

5. A rail crossing, comprising intersecting flanged rails, a riser plate secured upon the flange of each rail, one of said parts having a horizontal groove across which the other part extends, said riser plates having their upper surfaces below the surfaces of the rails and arranged to serve as treads for the ianges of the wheels paing the crossing, and detachable elements binding saidl EDWIN D. SMITH.

(topics of this patent my be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

